Kindle Scribe (2025) Review: Best for Readers Who Take Notes
Quick verdict
The best big-screen Kindle, with a smooth pen for notes and markup. Writing inside books is clunky, and it's locked to Amazon's ecosystem.
Buy it if
- You read a lot of Kindle books and want a bigger screen.
- You want simple notes and PDF markup.
- You want the pen included and no charging.
Skip it if
- You want apps beyond Kindle. Look at the BOOX.
- Serious note-taking is the main job. Look at reMarkable.
- You want color.
Specs
| Screen | 11 in black-and-white e-ink |
|---|---|
| Resolution | 300 PPI |
| Front light | Yes, warm light, auto-brightness |
| Storage | 32 or 64 GB, no card slot |
| Apps | Kindle store and notebooks only |
| Pen | Premium Pen, no charging |
| Pen included | Yes |
| Battery | Up to 12 weeks reading, 3 weeks writing (claimed) |
| Weight | 400 g |
| Thickness | 5.4 mm |
Pros and cons
Pros
- Excellent 11-inch, 300 PPI display.
- Pen included, never needs charging.
- Very fast for e-ink.
- Light and thin: 400 g and 5.4 mm.
Cons
- Writing in books (Active Canvas) is clunky.
- Note tools trail reMarkable and BOOX.
- Tall; tiring to hold for long reads.
- No app store, no memory card.
Real-world math
Battery. Amazon's claims: up to 12 weeks of reading or 3 weeks of writing. That's based on light daily use. The takeaway is simple: writing drains it about four times faster than reading.
Size and weight. 400 grams and 5.4 mm thin. It's the lightest of the three big e-ink notebooks here. The reMarkable Paper Pro is 525 grams.
Storage. 32 or 64 GB, with no card slot. For books and notes, 32 GB is plenty.
Reading
This is where it shines. TechRadar called it "arguably the best display on an e-paper writing tablet" and the fastest e-reader they'd tested. Tom's Guide called reading "practically perfect."
Writing
The pen feels smooth and responsive. TechRadar called it "one of the best writing experiences" on a digital notebook. Quick Notes, notebooks, margin notes and AI search all work well.
Active Canvas, which lets you write in books, is the weak spot. Tom's Guide found it clunky because it shoves text around your note.
The catches
It's tall, and TechRadar found it hard to hold for long. It only runs Amazon's software. And at full price it costs about as much as an iPad, so TechRadar suggests waiting for a sale.
How it compares
| Spec | Amazon Kindle Scribe (2025) | reMarkable Paper Pro | BOOX Note Air5 C |
|---|---|---|---|
| My rating | 8.3/10 | 8.1/10 | 8.6/10 |
| Screen | 11 in black-and-white e-ink | 11.8 in Canvas Color e-ink (Gallery 3) | 10.3 in Kaleido 3 color e-ink |
| Resolution | 300 PPI | 2160 x 1620, 229 PPI | 300 PPI black and white, 150 PPI color |
| Front light | Yes, warm light, auto-brightness | Yes, adjustable | Yes, warm and cool |
| Storage | 32 or 64 GB, no card slot | 64 GB, 2 GB RAM | 64 GB + microSD, 6 GB RAM |
| Apps | Kindle store and notebooks only | reMarkable only (no app store) | Android 15 with Google Play |
| Pen | Premium Pen, no charging | Marker Plus (with eraser) | BOOX Pen3, 4,096 levels |
| Pen included | Yes | Yes (this bundle) | Yes |
| Battery | Up to 12 weeks reading, 3 weeks writing (claimed) | Up to 14 days of regular use (claimed) | 3,700 mAh |
| Weight | 400 g | 525 g | 430 g |
| Thickness | 5.4 mm | 5.1 mm | 5.8 mm |
| Check price | Check price Review | Check price Review |
FAQ
- Does the Kindle Scribe come with a pen?
- Yes. The Premium Pen is included and never needs charging.
- Is there a cheaper version?
- Amazon announced a Kindle Scribe without a front light for less money, and a color version (Kindle Scribe Colorsoft) for more. This review covers the standard model with the front light.
- Can I send documents to it?
- Yes. The 2025 model added Google Drive and OneDrive support, plus Send to Kindle.
- How long does the battery last?
- Amazon says up to 12 weeks of reading or about 3 weeks of writing per charge. Writing uses much more power.
Bottom line
If you're a reader first and a note-taker second, this is the e-ink tablet I'd buy. If notes are the main job, the reMarkable Paper Pro or BOOX will serve you better.